Chicago Botanic Garden Fall 2019

20 chicagobotanic.org What goes where? Discovery starts with GIS Tracking plants in your own back- yard is pretty straightforward. Magnolia tree? Over there by the fence. Azaleas? Next to the ga- rage. But imagine trying to find a particular forsythia or service- berry shrub amid the 2.7 million plants on 385 acres at the Chicago Botanic Garden. It’s tricky just remembering where the car is parked (we’ve got a tip for that, too). Safeguarding plants, many of which represent threatened species, is essential to the Chicago Botanic Garden’s mis- sion. And knowing where plants thrive best is prerequisite to our site planning and conservation. So how are we able to track that many plants? e answer—savvy sta , devoted vol- unteers, and cutting-edge technology. As the Garden’s geographic informa- tion systems (GIS) specialist, Veronica Harry-Jackson is constantly updating the collection. “We use several inven- tory and tracking methods, including state-of-the-art GIS and surveying, to document and continuously update in- formation about our collections. So, yes,” she adds with a laugh, “we actual- ly can direct you to that forsythia, serviceberry, and many other plants.” The gist of GIS GIS is the science of “where.” It is a way to gather, manage, and analyze a multi- tude of data within a speci ed geo- What does the information tell us? GIS data not only helps us keep track of what is where, it enables us to con- duct research, such as comparing the lifespan of a particular species in di er- ent locations. With data GIS, our plant healthcare team can investigate possible reasons for the di erence in longevi- ty—maybe inadequate drainage in one place, soil issues, or disease. Findings can direct changes to help plants to thrive. “In some cases, we can combine our GIS data with other types of infor- mation. For instance, we tracked mul- tiple aerial photographs taken over time and saw a change in the Skokie River boundary and horticultural plantings. GIS and photography liter- ally helped us to see the big picture,” Harry-Jackson says. graphic location. at location can be as small as a raised bed or as large as the planet. Most of us rely on GIS every day. Using your car or phone’s GPS (global posi- tioning system), GIS can spotlight gas stations en route to your destination. Your morning co ee retailer is conve- nient to you because GIS helps the company select prime locations for new stores. So, how do we keep track? e Chicago Botanic Garden is divided into smaller gardens, and each of these is segmented into a series of subloca- tions or beds. Each bed includes an ar- ray of set points from satellite data, in- cluding the latitude and longitude. Whenever a new plant is acquired or moved as part of our permanent collec- tions, Harry-Jackson and team docu- ment its name, where it originated, and other identifying information. e plant receives an accession number and a speci c set of coordinates document- ing precisely where it is planted. is inventory then is overlaid into the Environmental Systems Research Insti- tute (ESRI) ArcGIS mapping software. “ e software creates plant maps from our original maps and data,” says Har- ry-Jackson. “It automatically updates whenever changes are made—new plants, removals, transfers, etc. Plus, it allows exibility to lter data by query. We can create maps by genus, taxa, or characteristics of the plant at that location, for example.” Veronica Harry-Jackson (right) helps keep track of the Garden’s millions of plants.